- Oilers acquire goaltender Devon Levi from the Sabres for a 2028 third-round pick
- Edmonton also gets a 2028 seventh-rounder back in the deal
- Read below for what Levi means for Edmonton’s crease behind Tristan Jarry
The Edmonton Oilers went looking for goalie depth on the first day of free agency.
Edmonton acquired goaltender Devon Levi from the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday, sending its own 2028 third-round pick to Buffalo and getting Levi plus a 2028 seventh-rounder in return. The Oilers announced the trade on social media Wednesday afternoon:
Buffalo confirmed its side of the deal minutes later:
Levi, 24, spent all of last season with AHL Rochester, where he went 23-20-9 with a .904 save percentage and three shutouts in 52 games. His NHL sample in Buffalo stayed small: 39 games across parts of three seasons, a 17-17-2 record and an .894 save percentage.
The move fits a crease Edmonton has spent the summer reshaping. Stuart Skinner signed with Winnipeg earlier in the day, leaving the Oilers leaning on Tristan Jarry. Levi arrives as competition behind him, alongside Connor Ungar and Matt Tomkins.
Not long ago, the Quebec native was one of the most hyped goalie prospects in the sport. He won the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA’s top goaltender twice at Northeastern and posted a staggering .952 save percentage in 2021-22. He also backstopped Canada to a silver medal at the 2021 World Juniors with a .964 save percentage.
The NHL numbers never caught up to the college resume, which is part of why Buffalo moved on for a mid-round pick. Levi originally came to the Sabres in the 2021 Sam Reinhart trade with Florida, so Buffalo squeezed years of a cheap, high-upside goalie out of him before this reset.
He carries an $812,500 cap hit through next season, so there is almost no risk here for Edmonton. If the 24-year-old rediscovers the form that made him a top prospect, the Oilers found a bargain in the middle of free agency. If not, they are out a third-round pick.
